The Toronto Raptors are experiencing a chasmic shift in team culture

As we step away from the “We The North” era and into whatever comes next, the most culturally diverse team in the NBA searches for its new identity.

The year 2014 was over a decade ago; that’s a long time. It’s also the year the Toronto Raptors unveiled their new identity for a new era. Embracing a new persona that was gritty, down to Earth, and unequivocally Canadian, summed up in three words:

We The North.

Under this new banner, Toronto saw epic highs and lows, culminating in the 2019 Championship over the Golden State Warriors and the joyous hoisting of the Larry O’Brien Trophy, forever cementing that team in the history books.

In the more than half-decade since, our franchise players have come and gone thrice over, in Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Pascal Siakam. We have embraced a near-total rebuild around a set of younger players, missed the playoffs three years in a row, and have a team that is largely untested and unproven. The massive change in roster and lack of success (as of now) have, in my mind, marked the end of the “We The North” era, leaving Toronto’s team identity raw and undefined, a reflection of the numerous new players who now call Scotiabank Arena home court.

I can pinpoint the shift into a new era occurring during the 2023-24 NBA season, with the trading of O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam effectively severing the team’s last major connections to the 2019 Finals squad. Looking at the massive changes that have taken place in the past two years, conclusions can be drawn that point to the future of the Raptors’ identity. Stepping into a new era can result in a great deal of unease, but Toronto has laid out some groundwork upon which I think these pillars of being might end up resting on.

Making “Throwback” More Permanent

The Raptors’ embracing their classic purple, honouring of franchise-great Vince Carter through city jerseys and a jersey retirement, as well as frequent throwback “Specialty Nights,” demonstrate that Toronto is looking through the archives for how best to step into this new era.

The Raptors have contrasted their star-studded past with their new young core in advertisements for the new jerseys, and seem to be aware of the “Purple Fever” that fans have clearly been afflicted with. Easing people into a new roster/era can be difficult, but the rebuild may be easier to swallow when chased with a swig of nostalgia. I hope the purple will stay, and year by year, the reliance on old stars to fade as the team makes the old colours its own.

The Embracement of Canada Basketball

This has been a great year for Canada Basketball, with the nation’s crowning achievement being Toronto-born Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascent to true superstardom, as he’s captured the scoring title, MVP award, and leads the Thunder into the NBA Finals. Beyond Shai, this is a record-tying year for Canadians appearing in the NBA Finals.

However, even while out of the playoffs, RJ Barrett, the hometown kid for Toronto, is also of note. Having a local player on their local team can mean a lot for fan pride, and I think that an embrace of the young Canadian could be very healthy for the new culture the franchise is trying to establish. While RJ cut his teeth playing south of the border, a breakout season from him and the potential acquisition of another Canadian player could see the Raptors wholeheartedly embrace being “Canada’s Team.”

However, it’s not all love between the team and the hometown crowd, because I’m predicting...

A Step Back From OVO

The “We The North” Era saw the Raptors become closely associated with Toronto rapper Drake, who, near the apex of his fame, became the team’s “global ambassador.” Drake’s gold OVO branding either directly featured or inspired alternate jerseys for more than half a decade.

Amidst Drake’s public feuding with former franchise player DeMar DeRozan and the 2024 suite of Raptors jerseys opting for purple alternates rather than gold, I think it’s safe to say that the franchise will be leaning further away from its public association with the controversial musician. While Drake’s impact on Toronto and relationship with the Raptors is all but certain to continue, the new era of Toronto basketball may see movement away from the millennial icon, with distance from one of the most enduring parts of the franchise’s 2010s identity.

Charging into a new era

As the Raptors embrace “purple fever” with a new lineup, new look, and fight for a new standing in the league, nothing is certain. The 2025-26 season will be our first real look at the new team geared to compete. “We The North” is over, but to unfreeze from a static position, you need to break through the ice. With one of the most culturally prevalent teams in the NBA going through a shift in identity, this could be the start of a unique journey of self-discovery for the Raptors and their fans.